Amstel Gold Race 2013: The Big Preview

Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race kicks off a week of Ardennes Classics, three hilly races in the Netherlands and Belgium that also include Fleche Wallone (April 17) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (April 21).

The route for the 48th edition of the Amstel Gold Race has been tweaked, with the finish line shifted just under two kilometres from the final climb of the Cauberg. It’s in the same position as the finish line for the 2012 World Championships last year – won by Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing).

After the start in Maastricht, the riders head north and loop around Valkenberg in three different circuits before hitting the finishing loop. Along the way they’ll tackle 34 climbs (see list below) during the race’s 251.8 kilometres in a war of attrition.

Enrico Gasparotto (Astana) won last year’s race after out-sprinting fellow late attackers Jelle Vanendert (Lotto-Belisol) and Peter Sagan (Cannondale). Sagan goes into this year’s race as one of the favourites along with Gilbert. The two riders duelled for the win this week in Brabantse Pijl, with Sagan coming out on top – just. Sagan has been the man to beat this season, and teams will have to work hard to overhaul him during the race.

Gasparotto looks unlikely to repeat last year’s result, after colliding with a truck during training on Thursday. He came away from the incident with minor injuries and has vowed to start the race, but it’s a major setback for the Italian.